Royal Bank closes

Poor environment in the bank caused by Hurricane Maria forces closure

RBC Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) announced today that it has closed its Dominica store as a result of physical deterioration of the building in the aftermath of damage sustained from hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.

In a press statement RBC said that after restoring service last year, RBC continued to monitor the environment in the store to ensure it remained safe for employees and clients. The decision to close the store was made following a third-party assessment of the physical and environmental conditions of the building that RBC received on March 9.

The statement continued: "As a result, the Dominica store closed until further notice at the end of business on Friday. The full service ATM will remain available for the convenience of RBC's personal and business clients. Information about specific services and how to continue to access them is available from the RBC Client Advice Centre (1-888-847-5803) and on the RBC website.

"Fortunately, our RBC network is both physical and digital, bringing to life the digitally enabled relationship bank. Our multi-channel service options will enable clients to continue managing their banking needs while our Dominica team will be available to support and advise them from a temporary location as soon as possible. The commitment and resilience of our team after the hurricane was inspiring and the truest example of teamwork," said Isaac Solomon, Managing Director of RBC, Eastern Caribbean.

"While the announcement is sudden and likely upsetting for RBC's Dominica team and local clients, everyone worked together and did their best to maintain full service operations at this store. Ultimately, with the information received, RBC had to make the right decision and close the location for the wellbeing of its employees and clients.

"It's important to remember that a team and a community are made up of its people, not of the bricks and mortar that surround them. The RBC Dominica team will regroup and continue advising and supporting clients as soon as possible from a location yet to be announced," said Solomon".